Trials of Love
by lonewolfno1
Summary: How would you feel if the person you loved left you with only a promise of their return? What if you could not tell anyone about it? Nabiki Tendo knows just how this feels. Now she is preparing to make a new life for herself in a new place as she await
1. Nabiki's Arrival

Standard Disclaimer: I created none of these characters. I make no money. I only have fun.

TRIALS OF LOVE

Nabiki breathed in the fresh air as she made her way across the bridge stretching over the canal below. She marveled in the feeling of serenity that it brought to her. Nerima may have been a small community but it was still a pretty close to Tokyo, so its air was somewhat polluted. Not by much but it was still noticeable.

Not like it was here. All around her, the air smelled crisp and clean. Looking beyond the few buildings in front of her, Nabiki could see the pristine beauty of the mountains and forest. The sight was more than enough to fill her with a deep sense of peace.

Peace. Now that was a feeling she hadn't known in over two years, not since one Ranma Saotome and his father arrived at her family home and dojo. The chaos that followed was like something out of one of those weird Anime shows her sister, Akane, enjoyed watching from time to time.

Nabiki shrugged off the memories as she continued across the bridge. Instead she thought back to her task at hand: looking for a place to stay while she pursued a business degree from Tokyo University. It was still a breathtaking thought to Nabiki that she had been able to get in to such a prestigious institution. Of course, it was what she had been preparing herself for ever since she had first started high school. Now those long nights of studying had finally paid off.

When she reached the end of the bridge, she looked around, trying to get her bearings and recall the directions she had gotten from her student advisor. He had told Nabiki that there was a large inn in this area. It used to be a hot springs resort but now it was being used as an all-girl's dormitory. That was the big thing that appealed to her. In this place she wouldn't have to worry about being reminded of HIM?

Nabiki sighed as she sat down on a bench she found at the end of the bridge. Normally, she prided herself on keeping her emotions hidden. After all, she was the Ice Queen of Furinkan High. It was a skill she had worked very hard to perfect and one that had served her well over her high school career. Truth be told, it was the secret to her success as a "mercenary girl". It had also probably saved her life in the past twelve months as well.

It was a time in her life that Nabiki would never forget nor would she ever want to. For the first time in her life since her mother had died, she had truly felt loved. As she rested herself, she thought back to the day after the failed wedding, back to the day that had changed her life forever.

* * *

"NABIKI TENDO!"

Nabiki cringed. She had known that sooner or later he would come looking for her. There was no way she could keep what she had done a secret even with her resources. Sooner or later, one of the many wedding crashers would tell who it was that had let them know about the wedding. The only thing that she could do was try to talk her way out of it. She would have to think fast, she knew. Judging by the footsteps coming up the stairs, she only had about five seconds

Placing her mask of neutrality on her face, Nabiki pretended to be interested in the manga in her hands. When Ranma burst through the door, she only spared him a fleeting glance. This, of course, only served to increase his already intense irritation towards her.

"I do hope you have a good reason for barging into my room without knocking," Nabiki said casually. Ranma was not impressed.

"Why did you do it, Nabiki?"

Nabiki set down the manga and faced him with the intent of staring him down like she always did. This time, however, something was different. Maybe it was the genuine guilt she felt inside. Maybe it was the fear over what he might do to her because of her role in the wedding fiasco. Perhaps it was even the thought of what her sisters would think of her when they learned of the part she had played. For whatever reason, when her eyes met Ranma's, her Ice Queen expression melted away until tears began to form in her eyes.

Ranma had really not known what to expect from Nabiki for an answer. To that end he had resolved himself to be ready for anything and not let her talk her way out of the situation. Unfortunately, Nabiki crying was the one thing he could never have prepared himself for. All the anger that he had been carrying evaporated at the sight of the open and exposed girl in front of him. Not knowing what else to do Ranma closed the door and sat down on the bed beside the middle Tendo daughter.

"Hey now, there's no reason to cry," Ranma said nervously. "It's not like I was gonna hit ya or nothin." He saw that this wasn't helping and, being Ranma, just continued to talk. "I mean it's not like I wanted to get married or anything. I just wanted to know why you did it, that's all." Ranma stopped rambling when he realized that Nabiki's cries had quieted. He looked up to find Nabiki looking right into his eyes.

"Do you really mean that, Ranma?" she asked, her eyes still red.

Ranma began to panic as he stuttered to get words out of his mouth that made sense. "Well I…That is…I mean I…" He didn't get much further before Nabiki brought her hand up and slapped him across the face. It seemed to do the trick as Ranma focused on her again.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"I needed to snap you out of it because I want an honest and straight forward answer. DO YOU LOVE AKANE?" Nabiki gave Ranma a look that left him with no doubt as to how serious she was. Finally, he swallowed hard and looked down.

"Yes, I love Akane." As he was looking down, he was unable to see Nabiki's face fall into a look of despair, so he continued without pausing. "I also love you and Kasumi."

Nabiki's eyes went wide with shock. This was not an answer she had been expecting. "What exactly are you saying, Ranma?" She was sure she wasn't going to like his answer.

"Well, this is the first real home I've ever had. To me, that makes you all my family." Ranma raised his head and looked at Nabiki. "I know it's not what our dads want, but there's just no way that I could ever feel anything more than that about Akane?"

"What about me?" Nabiki asked him.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You wanted to know why I stopped the wedding, right?" Seeing Ranma's nod, she continued. "It wasn't just because I didn't want to see you married to Akane. It was because I couldn't bear to see you married to anyone. At least, anyone but me." Nabiki bit her lip and waited for Ranma's reaction.

Ranma, for once, didn't have anything to say. He just sat there looking at Nabiki with a neutral expression on his face. Finally, he got up and walked over to the window. He stared at the stars for a few moments and then finally found his voice.

"How long?"

Nabiki just blinked in confusion behind him. "I don't understand, Ranma."

"How long has it been since you decided that you were in love with me?"

Nabiki thought for a few minutes. It had never really occurred to her before just when it was she realized what her feelings were. When she had first met Ranma and learned about his curse, she regarded him as a freak. She had, of course, recognized the potential for making money off of him early on but that was as far as her interest in him had extended. She remembered when she had tricked Akane into switching the engagement over to her so she could further exploit him. She also recalled how Ranma had ignored Akane to save her when the railing they were standing on had given way beneath them. Nabiki's eyes opened at the realization.

"Do you remember when we were engaged for awhile?" Nabiki asked him.

Ranma frowned. "I remember you sold my 'services' to so many people that I barely had the energy to make it home each night."

"What about when you caught me after the terrace broke?"

Ranma's look softened as he thought back to that incident. "Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"I think that's when I started to fall in love with you. It was the first time in a long time that I actually felt safe. It was like I knew as long as you held me, nothing could hurt me." Nabiki got up and walked towards Ranma. He saw her coming in the window and turned to face her unsure of what he was supposed to say or do. He was further stunned when Nabiki caressed his cheek with her hand.

"Ranma, I know I'm not a martial artist like Akane. I can't cook like Ukyo nor do I have Shampoo's strength and fighting ability. I don't have much that I can offer you other than myself which I am willing to give to you completely. I won't push you into anything you don't want to do. All I ask is that you give me a fair chance at your heart."

Ranma reached up to take Nabiki's hand from his cheek. He noticed how warm it felt and realized that it did feel kind of good to hold it. At the same time, though, he recalled all the times in the past when Nabiki had acted like she cared about him only to find that it was just another one of her money-making schemes. Finally, he spoke to her as he released her hand.

"I don't know, Nabiki. It's kinda hard to forget all the things that you did to me. I really need to think about this." He walked around her and headed for the door. Just as he reached it, though, he turned around to face her.

"Tell ya what," he said. "Why don't we try starting out as friends tomorrow? That's something me and Akane never got the chance to do. After that, we'll see what happens."

Nabiki smiled. "I'd like that, Ranma," she said as she watched him leave for the night.

Over the next two or three months, Ranma found in Nabiki the friend he had always needed. She was there to listen whenever he needed to talk to someone. In public, she always made of show of charging him outrageously for her time, but once they were alone, she always gave back the money. Even though he knew that Nabiki's feelings were for something stronger than a friendship, it was still nice to have someone he could talk to who didn't try to push her intentions on him.

For Nabiki, she finally discovered what it meant to have someone like her for who she really was instead of the person her reputation made her out to be. Most people who claimed friendship with her did so because of what she knew or could do to them if they upset her. While the attention was nice, it did nothing to alleviate the loneliness she felt deep down inside of her. Having Ranma around was nice because it meant that someone was finally willing to trust her and see beyond the Ice Queen, albeit grudgingly at first.

That isn't to say there weren't problems or arguments. There were plenty of times when Ranma would demonstrate his mastery of the Saotome Foot in Mouth Technique, mostly having to do with Akane. Whatever else may be said about Nabiki, family meant more to her than anything else, even money. There was also the incident when Nabiki had once again been secretly taking photos of Ranma in his girl form to sell to the various boys at school, particularly one Tatewaki Kuno. Unfortunately, Nabiki wasn't as careful as she thought and inadvertently snapped a twig as she was backing away. Ranma heard this and immediately caught her in the act. His yells could be heard on the other side of Tokyo. By the time he finished, Nabiki's heart was broken as she ran up to her room, tears streaming down her face. She cried herself to sleep in a matter of minutes and did not wake until that afternoon.

When Nabiki woke up, she was surprised and a little scared to find Ranma, sitting against the wall under her window, asleep. She still hurt from the pain she had caused him and the fear that she had forever lost her chance to be with him, but she knew that she had to deal with this. Slowly, Nabiki crossed the room and knelt down in front of him. Gently she reached out and shook his shoulder. When Ranma raised his head, he found himself staring into Nabiki's bloodshot eyes.

"Ranma, I…" Nabiki started, but she was interrupted when Ranma raised his hand. His eyes were focused in a serious gaze that Nabiki had never seen before.

"Just tell me why," he said. Nabiki winced; even his voice sounded cold. She opened her mouth to answer when Ranma interrupted again. "And I want the truth."

Nabiki lowered her head and sighed. She hadn't planned on lying to him this time, but hearing him say that conveyed to her just how much he was hurting. It hurt her too to know that he didn't trust her enough to tell him the truth. Nabiki knew that he had begun to trust her and she had now betrayed that trust. She also knew that it wasn't going to be easy to regain it.

"I sell them, mostly to the boys at school and yes, that includes Kuno." She knew that he really wouldn't like that last part, but he had wanted the truth. "The money's not for me. I use it to pay for food and the bills that this household incurs. There's also the occasional damage to the dojo and property to consider. If there's anything left after that, I divide it out between Daddy and my sisters."

"How long have you been doing this?"

"The pictures or the finances?"

"Both."

Nabiki sat down on her bed and reached for the tissues box on her nightstand. This was going to bring back some hard memories for her. She had been trying to forget most of them, as painful as they were. She was surprised to find that Ranma had sat down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. The truth was he already knew why she did all the things she did. Kasumi had told him when he had mentioned how Soun didn't seem to be teaching or had a job to bring in any income. At first, he had found it hard to believe that anyone so young could handle the responsibility of keeping her family off the street. That was before he had gotten to know Nabiki the past few months. Ranma had learned that she carried a strength within her that rivaled his own outer strength. It was that strength that had begun to make Ranma see her as more than a friend. He knew, however, that if a relationship was going to come of it, he had to get her to open up to him. She had to know that she could tell him anything she needed to. Ranma felt that this was finally the time for that, but she was going to need a little push.

"Nabiki, I know this has to be hard for you, but I think I deserve to know the whole story about what is going on." He squeezed her shoulder gently to reassure her.

Nabiki sighed, but resolved herself to what she needed to do now. Deep down, she knew she had needed to do this for a long time.

"Daddy really took my Mom's death pretty hard. I'm not sure why that was. She had been sick for a long time, and we all knew she wasn't getting better. I guess he just didn't know how to cope with the loneliness. He stopped taking new students and eventually lost the ones he already had when they realized his heart just wasn't into it anymore. I took over the family finances and kept us afloat any way that I had to. That was when I became the "Mercenary girl". I started by giving out loans at high interest rates and taking bets on the school sporting events. Later I progressed to blackmail and information gathering when the first two didn't bring in enough.

"When Akane started high school, she was still feeling the effects of Mom's death. Mostly she felt anger all the time over the fact that Mom was gone and Dad had stopped teaching her. She kept to herself and didn't socialize at all. For some reason all the guys saw her as a challenge to be conquered and started hounding her for dates. Over time as her popularity with the boys grew, I saw an opportunity to bring in more income off of it. I began taking pictures of her and selling them to the boys.

One day, Kuno made the mistake on approaching her on a particularly bad day for her and demanded that she go out on a date with him as he was the only one worthy of such a fierce tigress as her. This sent Akane over the edge and she proceeded to knock him into the school wall. After that, Kuno became obsessed with her and used the speech contest to issue his challenge to all the guys in school about only being able to date her by beating her in a fight. You know what happened after that."

Ranma nodded. "And when I arrived and Kuno became obsessed with my girl side, it presented another opportunity to fleece him for some more money."

Nabiki's eyes widened as a suspicion hit her. "You already knew the truth, didn't you?" Seeing Ranma nodded, her grief immediately turned to rage as she began pounding on his chest. "Why did you make me do that then? You knew how much it would hurt me. Damn you, you jerk." Her punches lost steam as she finally collapsed, sobbing into his chest. It took her a few minutes to realize that Ranma had put his arms around her and was now holding her tightly. Slowly she lifted her head and met his eyes.

"Why?"

Ranma smiled. "I needed you to know that you could open up and talk to me. I wanted you to know that you could trust me, so I could finally do something that I've been thinking about for a while."

Nabiki's heart stopped as she spoke. "What is that?"

"I wanted to ask you if you'll meet me for dinner and a movie Saturday night."

Nabiki was sure her ears were playing tricks with her mind. She could have sworn that Ranma had just asked her out.

"Ranma, did you just ask me for a date?"

Ranma grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I did. I think it would be a good idea if we met somewhere rather than leave together though. It would be safer I think."

"What do you mean it would… Oh, that's right. I guess the other fiancés wouldn't like the idea of another person getting your attention. Alright, we'll keep this between us for now."

"Thanks, Biki." He grinned when saw her blush at that. "Meet me at that new Italian place at 7:00 tomorrow night. Since I'm picking the restaurant, you get to pick the movie." Ranma decided it would be a good idea to leave through the window so that no one would harass him about being in Nabiki's room alone with her for so long. Just before he jumped out, he turned around and smiled at her. "By the way, the next time you need some more pictures, let me know. We can agree on what kind of poses and outfits to use. Maybe I'll even let you do that calendar idea I know you've been toying with." With that, he climbed out of her window and headed for his room.

Nabiki just sat on her bed in shock. "How in Kami's name did he know about that?" she thought.

* * *

Nabiki smiled as she thought about all the months that followed that night. They had actually managed to get through that first date without an incident and he had even kissed her goodnight outside of the theatre. Over time, they got together whenever they could. At night, Ranma would take her up to the roof where they would spend hours just staring at the stars and talking. When the weather didn't permit, Ranma would sneak into her room through her window. As the weeks passed, Nabiki opened up more to him, telling him her fears and dreams, while Ranma would do the same. There were still a few close calls from the other girls, and every once in a while a date would have to be cancelled or cut short when they happened to corner Ranma. Through it all, it just made Nabiki's resolve stronger that she was not going to lose the man she now loved with all her heart.

Unfortunately, it had a different effect on Ranma as he began to get more and more frustrated with his life in general. It finally had driven him to the point where he did the one thing Nabiki swore he would never bring himself to do.

No one back home knew the pain she had felt three months ago when Ranma left without any warning… at least without any warning to everyone else. Nabiki was the only person who knew that he was going to take off and why. Tears began to run down her face as she thought back to the last night she had talked to the man that she loved.

* * *

"Damn it," Nabiki swore to herself. She was going over her book of the family's finances. Having already gone over the math twice in the last hour, she did so a third time, knowing full well that it wouldn't change the final total. They were well over budget for their monthly expenses. Even doubling her blackmail prices hadn't helped in the last two weeks. Unless she came up with a large amount of yen or dramatically cut their expenses, the Tendo family was in serious danger of losing their home. This, naturally, did not set well with Nabiki Tendo.

A tapping at her window brought her out of her musing, as well as a frown to her face. Right now, he was one of the last people she wanted to face despite how she felt about him. Nabiki huffed as she got up from her desk and moved to her window. Unlocking it, she stepped back as a certain pigtailed martial artist leapt into her room. Moving back to her desk, she sat down again and stared down at the bottom line of her ledger. Finally she turned towards Ranma and opened her mouth to speak.

"We need to talk."

Nabiki's mouth just hung open as she heard the very words she was going to say to him. She finally recovered enough and gestured for him to continue. The anger that she had been feeling towards him and his dad began to melt away when she saw the troubled look on his face. The fidgeting that came a moment later confirmed for her that she was not going to like what he had to say.

"Biki," Ranma started, using his pet name for her. "I know that there's not enough money in the Tendo account to cover the monthly expenses. I also know that me and Pops are a big cause of that with all the food we eat and all the damage that happens from our fights."

From the moment he had said Biki, Nabiki's anxiety had grown. Normally, hearing that would cause her whole body to feel light and warm. Now, as she was watching Ranma, his nervousness was starting to make her scared. Slowly, she got up and slid next to him on her bed. Wrapping her arms around is waist, Nabiki looked deep into his eyes.

"How did you know about the money, Ranma?"

"You left the book open three nights ago. After you fell asleep in my arms, I laid you down in your bed and went to straighten up your desk. That's when I saw it." Ranma leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since then and I decided I gotta do something."

Nabiki stiffened in his arms. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

Ranma just lowered his head. "Yeah, I am," he said softly.

Tears began flowing from Nabiki's eyes as she clutched him tighter. She knew that once Ranma Saotome made his mind up there was no way to change it. Nabiki buried her face in Ranma's chest and cried harder as all her emotions finally came pouring out.

"It's not fair. After all we've been through, it's just not fair." Ranma, still unsure of what to do with a crying Nabiki, decided just to hold her tightly in his arms as she sobbed. "It took us almost a year before we admitted how we felt about each other. That wedding idea of our father's nearly ended our life together before it even started."

"I know, Nabs, I know," Ranma whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair. Gently, he reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Sniffing, she raised her head to look into the blue eyes she loved so much.

"I can't convince you to stay, can I?"

"No, Nabs, and I know what you're going to ask. I can't let you come with me right now. I need time to get away and try to find an answer, so we can stop hiding how we feel about each other. Besides you're about to graduate and then you have to study for the entrance exams. You still plan on going to Tokyo University, right?" Nabiki nodded. "Well you're going to be studying real hard for the entrance exam. You can't stop now and you don't these distractions anymore."

"When are you coming back?"

Ranma lowered his head. This was the one answer he knew was going to be hardest on her. "I don't know. Like I said I need to sort out all the complications in my life and I just can't do that here. I know you don't like this and, believe me, neither do I, but I can take care of everything Pops messed up, there's no way we will have any peace. I promise we'll be together."

Nabiki smiled. "I trust you, Ranma. After all, everyone knows that Ranma Saotome always keeps his word. It still hurts, though."

"I know it does, but I do have one more thing to tell you that might help."

Nabiki's pulse quickened as did her breathing as she watched Ranma get down on one knee in front of her. "This is a dream," she thought. "He can't really be doing what I think he's doing." Reality hit her when he took her hand in his and produced a small box from behind his back.

"Nabiki Tendo, I love you and I always will. That being said I just want to know one thing. Will you marry me.?"

For a moment, Nabiki was speechless even though her mind was racing. "His hands are shaking," she thought. "He's actually scared about this. I can't say that I blame him. So am I." Finally she knelt down beside him, and put his arms around him.

"You better believe I will."

Ranma grinned and opened the ring box. Nabiki gasped when she saw what was inside. Not only was there an exquisite engagement ring, but also a gorgeous gold chain that it was hanging on. At Nabiki's puzzled expression, Ranma chuckled.

"I wanted you to have a ring, but until things get settled, I thought it would be better if you wore it on this chain for now." He unclasped the necklace and fastened it around her. She smiled when she saw that the ring was positioned right over her heart. She hugged Ranma and kissed him with all the passion she could muster.

"When are you leaving?"

"Tonight after everyone is asleep. I've already got my pack up on the roof."

Nabiki rested her head on his shoulder. "Ranma, can you stay here and hold me for a while before you go. Just until I fall asleep."

Ranma bent down and kissed her forehead. "Of course I will, Biki."

After a few hours, Nabiki finally fell asleep in his arms. Ranma gently lifted her up and put her in her bed. Pulling the covers over her, he leaned over and gently kissed her lips. He was rewarded by a small contented sigh. Finally he turned and walked over to the window. Turning back one last time, he climbed out and onto the roof to grab his bag. After that, Ranma jumped off into the night and left the Tendo dojo behind.

* * *

Nabiki wiped the tears from her eyes and looked down at her left hand. After she had left home, the first thing she had done on the train was take the ring off the chain around her neck and place it on her finger. She smiled at no longer having to hide the fact that she was engaged. As she was drying the last of her tears, she felt a shadow over her and heard a soft voice.

"Why are you crying?"

Nabiki looked up to see a petite little girl in standing in front of her. She was wearing a school uniform and looked to be in junior high. Nabiki smiled as she wiped the rest of her tears away. "I was just thinking about someone. I'm okay."

"Were you thinking about the person who gave you that ring?"

Nabiki quickly covered her hand before she realized it wasn't necessary to hide her ring any longer. She had become somewhat paranoid about the other fiancés seeing it back in Nerima. Coming up with a reason for why she was wearing an engagement ring around her neck would have been very difficult for her to do on the spur of the moment. Even after three months, Nabiki still hadn't been able to think of anything believable. Thankfully, that part of her life was now behind her. Nabiki was about to answer the little girl in front of her when another voice chimed in.

"Hey, Shinobu, who are you talking to?"

Nabiki look became one of amusement as a bubbly blond-haired girl jumped beside Shinobu. The grin that the newcomer had on her face seemed to radiate sunshine as bright as it was.

"I don't know who she is, Su," Shinobu told the other girl. "I really only just met her a few minutes ago."

"My name's Nabiki. Say maybe you can help me. I'm looking for the Hinata Apartments. Do you know where that is?"

Su smiled as she turned to face Nabiki. "Sure, that's where we live." She took Nabiki's hand and began to pull her in the direction of the inn. "C'mon. Su will show you where it is."

Nabiki laughed as she felt herself being dragged toward the Hinata Apartments. She looked back to find Shinobu running behind her trying to keep up. As she faced the direction they were heading in, she sighed and prepared to face her new life.

THE END (or is it?)

OK I decided to take a small break from my Ranma/Matrix fic when this idea popped into my head. Truth be told, I was getting kind of burnt out on the other one and starting to get writer's block because of it. That is not to say it is discontinued. Far from it. I just have some other ides that have been striving to come out. Expect the first chapter of yet another Ranma fic soon though that one will be a bit darker.

Congartulations to Innortal. He was the only one that correctly guessed the main character in this story. I have always felt that if anyone could break Nabiki out of her shell, it was Ranma. He just has that knack. I also feel that should they ever combine their talents, there would be no one or nothing that could oppose them.

Now for this story, it was originally intended to be a multichapter story but a part of me is saying that I should leave it as it is in the form of a one shot. I think I will leave it to the reviewers to help me decide. If you want to see more, then let me know in your reviews.

Anyway I hope you all enjoyed this little tale. Look for the first chapter of my third fic "What Lies Within the Soul" to be up in a bout a week.


	2. Ice Queen Of Hinata

Well, the public has spoken and the message has come in loud and clear. You want more. All I can say is who am I to disappoint you. I appreciate all the feedback. Unfortunately, I can't have Ranma come for Nabiki at the Hinata inn. Why? You'll just have to read on and find out.

Before anyone complains, I have to say this. I have not read the manga for Love Hina. A buddy of mine on my ship has the first three volumes of the show and that is my only source of reference for the characters of Hinata. Please don't hold it against me. Anyway to that effect, at this point in the timeline, the gang has returned after the fiasco of Keitaro and Naru's trip to Kyoto. For my purposes, I have also made the change that Mutsumi has moved into the apartments as well in order to be able to study with our resident ronins.

As usual, the standard disclaimer applies. I make no money of these characters. It's all in good fun.

That being said, ON WITH THE SHOW!

TRIALS OF LOVE

Ch. 1: The Ice Queen of Hinata

Haruka paused from sweeping the front of her teahouse when she heard the yell of a young and very hyper Su approaching. This wasn't unexpected. After all, it was her normal way of returning home. She was about to return to the task at hand when her mind registered that something was amiss. It took only a moment of a second look to realize what it was. Running behind her was a young woman with short brown hair. It was amazing to Haruka the girl was able to keep up with Su. It took a minute for her to see that this was only possible because the bubbly blonde was dragging her by the hand. Looking beyond them, she caught sight of Shinobu trying her best to keep up. Finally Su and the newcomer arrived in front of her.

"Good afternoon, Haruka. Do you have any bananas?" Su asked as she released Nabiki's hand.

"You know I don't, Su," Haruka replied. "You'll just have to go up to the apartments and check the kitchen like always."

"Ok, I'll see you later, Nabiki." With that, she bounded up the stairs before Nabiki could stop her.

"Su…Wait…" Nabiki gasped as she struggled to catch her breath.

Finally, she was able to breathe normally. She stood up straight and regarded the middle age woman in front of her. There was something about her that reminded her of her father. It wasn't the fact that she was smoking a cigarette or that it was even her father's favorite brand. It was her eyes and the way they seemed to fix her in an appraising stare. It was one of the few features that Nabiki had herself inherited from her dad. Not one to believe in coincidences, Nabiki decided it would be prudent to once again become the 'Ice Queen'.

"Excuse me, but could I trouble you for some water? I'm afraid I'm a little drained from my unexpected run."

"Sure, come on inside." Haruka looked past Nabiki when she heard gasping coming from behind her. "You should probably rest up in here as well, Shinobu. I'll get you some juice."

Nabiki helped Shinobu as she followed Haruka inside. They sat down at an empty table and waited until their drinks were brought out. To her surprise, Haruka joined them.

"Did Su say your name was Nabiki?"

Nabiki picked up her glass and drained half of the water with one gulp, wetting her dry throat. "That's right, Nabiki Tendo. I just arrived from Nerima." Nabiki noticed a slight twitch in Haruka's eyes as she said this. _If I didn't know better, I'd swear she recognized those names._

"So what brings you to our quiet mountain town?" Haruka asked as she used the cigarette she had just finished to light a fresh one.

"I just completed my registration at Tokyo University and my student advisor said I could probably find some affordable housing in the area."

"You're a Tokyo U student?" Shinobu asked excitedly. When Nabiki nodded, her smile got larger. "Maybe you could help Naru and Sempai. They're trying to get into Tokyo U as well, but they're having trouble with the entrance exams."

"I can understand that. They are kind of difficult." It had been a mind-numbing experience for her to say the least. "They shouldn't feel too bad about failing, though. Most people I know who registered today had to take it twice before they got in."

"Oh, well, I guess Naru will feel better after hearing that. It won't help Sempai, though."

"Why is that?" Nabiki asked as she took another drink of water.

"My nephew, Keitaro, has failed the test three times," Haruka replied. She then got up to get a towel to wipe her face after having had Nabiki spray it with the water she had been drinking.

"Three times?" Nabiki didn't even think someone was allowed to take the test that many times. If this guy was so desperate to get into Tokyo U, then she had a potential gold mine from tutoring him. Also, something about his name stirred an echo of something in her mind, but just as quickly it was gone.

Shinobu nodded as she looked down. It always hurt her to think about how hard Keitaro worked to get into the elite school only to have his dreams dashed each time the results were posted. It hurt her even more knowing he was putting in all this effort in an attempt to keep a promise to a girl he knew so long ago. Looking down at her watch, she suddenly gasped.

"Oh no, I didn't realize it was getting so late. I have to get back so I can start dinner."

"You make dinner for everyone?" Nabiki asked incredulously. "Aren't you awfully young to take on such a responsibility?"

"Not at all. I love to cook for the people I care about."

"If you're heading to the apartments, do you mind if I tag along? I still don't know where they are and it is getting a little late in the day to be looking for somewhere else to stay."

As they left, Haruka watched from the kitchen. She sighed to herself as she turned back and found her purse. Reaching inside, she pulled out an old photo of a young couple taken in front of the apartments. A young girl of about four or five stood in front of them, her long brown hair flowing behind her. The woman was holding in her arms a small baby not much older than a year old.

It was the final person in the photo that held Haruka's attention. Perched on the shoulders of the father was a two year old toddler. Her hair was cut in the same pageboy style as the young lady that had just left the teahouse. Despite the passage of 16 years, there was no doubt that they were the same person. Tears began to appear and run down her face.

"Oh, Nabiki, you have finally come home."

* * *

_If I never see another set of steps again in my life, it will be too soon._ Nabiki immediately banished the thought as she realized she would be climbing those same steps every evening if she did end up moving into the apartments. She was still trying to catch her breath as Shinobu led her to the building. When she was finally able to see it, Nabiki let out a gasp. _Why does this seem so familiar to me? It's like I've been here before._

Shinobu heard Nabiki's gasp and turned to her with a look of concern. "Are you alright?"

Nabiki recovered her composure and turned to her guide. She was really starting to like this little girl, but it wouldn't do to have anyone see through her neutral expressions. It just wouldn't be prudent until she decided exactly what it was that was troubling her about this whole situation. She couldn't understand why she was feeling such a sense of déjà vu. To the best of her memories, she was sure she had never been here before. Nabiki put her thoughts away for the time being as Shinobu led her into the main living area.

"Well now, who do y'all got there, Shinobu?" Nabiki turned to the source of the question and found a short-haired platinum blond lounging on the sofa. She was holding a saki bottle in her hand which, based on her mannerisms, Nabiki guessed was probably three-quarters empty.

"This is Nabiki. She's looking for a place to stay while she goes to Todai." Shinobu frowned. "This is not the best way to greet a perspective tenant, Kitsune. Speaking of which, where did you get that? I know we were out of saki after the party on Saturday. Keitaro said we didn't have enough money for anymore until he collected everybody's rent next week."

Kitsune smiled drunkenly. "Now y'all know me, Shinobu. I'll always find a way to keep the party going." She raised her bottle in a mock salute and then took another drink. "What about you, Nabs? Are y'all a party girl?"

"Don't call me Nabs," Nabiki replied dryly. Her neutral expression turned sour as she regarded the woman in front of her. "To answer your question, I'm not opposed to having a good time though I don't see the need to alter my mindset in order to do it." To be honest, Nabiki found alcohol to be a totally distasteful habit. She had seen what it had done to her dad after her mother had died. Once Ranma's dad had joined into the mix, the binges had only become more frequent. She was just glad that her father had always been a docile drunk. She knew one or two students back in Furinken High that had occasionally come to school sporting a black eye or other marks from an abusive alcoholic at home.

"Shinobu, can you tell me where the manager might be so that I can talk to him about moving in here?" To her dismay, it was Kitsune who answered her.

"I think Keitaro is in his room studying for the Tokyo U exam."

"Did you say Keitaro?" Nabiki asked. She saw Kitsune and Shinobu both nod to her. "How is a guy the manger here? I thought this was an all-girl's dorm."

"It is," Kitsune answered, "but Keitaro's grandmother is the owner of the building. She's touring around the world right now and asked him to step in for her as the manager."

"And everyone is okay with this?" Nabiki asked suspiciously.

Shinobu looked down. "Well, some of the girls were a little uncomfortable at first, but Sempai's not a bad person."

"What she means is Keitaro's too much of a wimp to try anything. Besides, between Naru and Motoko, he's pretty much kept in line." Nabiki was about to ask Kitsune exactly what she meant by that when a new voice entered into the conversation.

"Shinobu, Naru and I were wondering what was for dinner tonight?"

Nabiki turned toward the voice to find a skinny looking young man with glasses peering around the corner. She guessed that this must be the infamous Keitaro that everyone was talking about. She allowed herself a slight smile as she regarded him. If things were as they looked, she didn't feel she would have any problem negotiating a lower rent for her stay here. The fact that she could offer her services as an accountant to the apartments as well as tutor him for the entrance exam made her smile grow bigger.

"I was going to make steamed rice and fish, but since it appears we may have a new tenant, I thought I'd make something special instead like teriyaki chicken." Shinobu gestured to Nabiki as she spoke. Keitaro finally registered the new face in the room and shuddered when he saw Nabiki's smile. He wasn't sure why she was wearing such an expression, but he didn't think it meant anything good for him. He watched as she walked over and offered her hand.

"The name's Nabiki Tendo."

Ten minutes later, Nabiki was sitting in the manager's room filling out lease papers while Keitaro busied himself putting up his study materials for the Tokyo U entrance exam. Paperwork was something that she had always hated but had found to be unavoidable especially in the world of finance. When she got to the part about the rent amount, she smiled as she set the papers down in front of her.

"Tell me something, Keitaro," she said as pleasantly as she could. Keitaro stiffened as she spoke to him. After suffering various forms of abuse from the other girls, he had come to be wary when anybody addressed him in such a friendly way. Nabiki grinned broader as she saw this. This was going to be too easy. "I hear you've been trying to pass the entrance exam to Tokyo University." She held up her hand and extended three fingers. "Three times if I'm not mistaken."

Keitaro paled. He did not like the way this conversation was going. Slowly, he nodded his head. Whatever was going to happen, he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Good, then we have something to offer each other. You see, I am still the main breadwinner for my family back home due to some special 'enterprises'. To that end, anything I can do to lower expenses here will allow me to better support those I left behind. I offer you my services as tutor for the entrance exam as well as that of financial advisor to the apartments. In return, I get to stay here at half the usual rent."

Despite the thought that Keitaro had essentially been trapped by this woman, he had to admit that her deal was quite tempting. In fact, it was just what he needed right now. The next test was in a couple of months and he, Naru, and Mutsumi were going to need all the time and help they could get in preparing for it. The fact that Nabiki had already gotten in and on her first time made her a valuable asset. The decision was made in less than a minute. Keitaro straightened into what he hoped was a confident and dominating pose. Of course, he failed at this.

"You'll have to expand the deal to include Naru and Mutsumi in the tutoring and study sessions as well."

_He thinks he's some kind of hot shot negotiator, does he. Oh well, might as well let him think that. It could prove beneficial in the future._ Nabiki pretended to consider his additional terms before letting out a sigh and holding up her hands in mock surrender. "Looks like I don't have much of a choice, do I?" _After all, it's not like adding two more students is going to change anything if I do all of them at the same time._

"As manager of the Hinata Apartments, I accept your offer of services in exchange for reduced rent." He moved to seal the deal with a handshake, but, as they usually did, the fates intervened. As he walked towards Nabiki, Keitaro tripped on one of his thick study guides and fell directly on top of the woman in front of her. The result was the two of them in a very compromising position. Naturally, things only got worse from there.

"KEITARO, YOU PERVERT!"

Nabiki immediately felt a weight being lifted off of her chest, mostly because said weight was now imbedded in the opposite wall courtesy of Naru's foot. As Nabiki rose to her feet she watched as Keitaro slumped to the floor, unconscious. Whirling around, she faced the person who had interrupted her delicate business dealing and found herself face to face with a light haired girl, her chest huffing up and down in anger. As she watched the girl calm down somewhat, Nabiki soon found herself being the target of an accusing glare as she heard several footsteps coming down the hall.

"What the hell is going on in here, Naru?" Kitsune asked as she arrived next to Naru. Su soon followed close behind and perched her self on Keitaro's unconscious form, poking him playfully.

"Now, now, manager. This is no time to be sleeping. You have to finish Nabiki's lease papers," she said, smiling.

Nabiki groaned as she watched the way Su was acting. _I thought I was getting away from this kind of craziness. The next thing I know, one of these girls will turn into something when they get hit with cold water._

She turned back towards the other girls. Naru still held her in a look that would have melted the paint off the walls while Kitsune was still looking as confused as ever. Facing Naru, she returned the girl's look with a frown that showed she had no intention of backing down. "Now, would you mind telling me what exactly possessed you to barge in and cut my business deal short?" This only intensified Naru's irritation.

"Business deal?" Naru stormed. "Is that what you called it? You were using that pervert's urges to get a lower rent. I heard it."

Kitsune brightened. "Is that right? I didn't think y'all seemed like that kind of girl, Nabs."

Nabiki ignored the other girl and instead focused in on the source of her current situation. She felt a sense of satisfaction when she saw Naru deflate considerably. "Just what exactly is it that you thought you heard?" she asked her target.

"You seduced Keitaro into giving you a reduced rate in exchange for providing him with 'services'. It doesn't exactly take a Tokyo U student to figure out what kind you were offering. You may dress like some kind of business professional but it's clearly obvious what you were really up to."

Nabiki looked down at her clothes. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what was wrong with the way she was dressed. The white blouse she was wearing was certainly soft and flowing. After all, it was made from the finest silk money could buy. It was in no way very revealing, though. The light tan slacks and matching jacket completed the image of the perfect corporate executive in her mind. Nabiki smiled a feral grin as she realized the immediate fun she could have at this girl's expense.

"And here I thought you would be pleased with the arrangement. After all, Keitaro insisted that you be included in the services I would provide." She shot Naru a seductive look as she said this. "Not that I mind too much. From what I hear, it will be a real pleasure." _Kami, I love doing this to people like her._

Naru blanched. "M-m-me… included in your services?" Nabiki could almost here the synapses in her mind snapping from the overload.

Kitsune came up behind Naru and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well now, aren't y'all the lucky one? I mean she does look like a frisky young thing."

"I'm so glad you think so," Nabiki told Kitsune as she put on a lustful face.

"W-what do you mean now, sugar?" Kitsune asked, her face turning to one of fearful confusion.

"Well, I just meant that Keitaro mentioned another girl named Mutsumi. I guess it's possible that I misheard him though. Nabiki smiled inside as she saw Kitsune let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, there's a load off my mind. Mutsumi is Keitaro and Naru's other study partner for the Tokyo U exam."

_Oh, this is too rich. Living here is going to be so much fun. _Nabiki turned from Kitsune to regard her original target. She frowned as she saw Naru's rage returning.

"I knew it," she screamed. "All those times he had both of us in his room for study sessions he really wanted to do perverted things with the both of us. Not only that but he makes a deal with this harlot to make it happen." She began stalking towards Keitaro's form just as he was beginning to stir. Su made a hasty retreat away from him.

Naru only made it halfway to her target before she found a very annoyed Nabiki blocking her path. The look she shot at the angered girl made it clear that she had no intention of backing down from her. "How sure are you that you have it all figured out?"

Naru didn't show any sign of walking away either as she stared hard at Nabiki. "Like I said before, it doesn't take a Tokyo U student to figure out what it was you two arranged."

Nabiki smirked. "Then I guess it's a good thing I AM a Tokyo U student."

Naru seemed to deflate at that statement as she actually took a few steps back. "You go to Todai?"

"That's right. I just finished my registration yesterday. Passed the test on the first time, too." She saw that the girl in front of her seemed to be at loss for words so Nabiki pressed her advantage. "Because of this and the current situation of certain tenants, meaning you and Keitaro, I offered to help you two and Mutsumi prepare for the next set of exams. Not only that but I've been supporting my family for close to ten years now. That being said I have a fair amount of business and accounting experience. As a result, you are looking at the new accountant for the Hinata Apartments."

At this point, Nabiki went in for the kill. She held up her left hand so that no one could miss the engagement ring on her finger. "As for my intentions toward your, well now our, manager, I think it is quite plain to see that he has little hope in that regard seeing as how I am already quite taken."

Nabiki was quite sure her point was made as Naru slowly began to shuffle backwards and out of the room. Kitsune seemed to be fixed where she was, gawking at the ring that had been displayed. Nabiki could tell from her face that she was trying to calculate the exact value of what she had seen. Su interrupted her observations as she bounded up and took hold of Nabiki's hand.

"Wow, that sure is sparkly? Almost as much as some of the things in my family's royal treasury."

Nabiki paled, but only slightly. "Did you say your family's royalty?" She had guessed that this girl was a foreigner but royalty? It didn't seem possible.

Su just nodded as she beamed brightly.

Nabiki's smile returned. "Kid, I think you and I are going to get along just fine." Already Nabiki was thinking of the advantages of establishing a repertoire with a foreign country's royal family. After all it was simply good business sense.

By this time, Keitaro had regained his senses and was stumbling back over to the table. "Ow, what did I do now?"

Nabiki moved to help him. "C,mon, let's finish up this paperwork."

* * *

An hour later, Nabiki was sitting in her new room. It was definitely preferable to the one she had left behind back in Nerima. For one thing, she had a lot more room. That would be useful as she was planning on acquiring a few more items of furniture in addition to what she was going to have moved from her house. The view was absolutely gorgeous. From her window she could look down on the hot springs below. Beyond that, the mountains lay spread out before her in all their pristine beauty. Just looking out over the scenery filled her with a great sense of peace, as if everything in the world she could ever want was here before her. 

That last thought brought a tear to her eye. _No, not everything I want._

Nabiki crossed her room over to the single large suitcase she had brought with her. Inside were several changes of clothing, bath items, school supplies, and other necessities to get her through the next week until her household goods arrived from home. These things she ignored as she dug down to the bottom and withdrew a foldable silver picture frame. Facing each other were two photographs. One showed a young man wearing a red sleeveless Chinese shirt and black pants. He was performing part of what was some kind of martial arts move, his arms extended in front of him. The opposite photo could have been his twin sister, a brightly expressioned red head who seemed to be having the time of her life as she happily took a big spoonful of an ice cream sundae. Nabiki couldn't help but laugh as she looked at the size of the bite she was planning on eating. Sighing, she clutched the frame to her chest.

_Ranma, I miss you so much._

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the same angry girl from before standing in her doorway until she knocked on the frame. Nabiki quickly composed herself and folded the frame so that only the picture of Ranma in his male form was visible. Turning around, she faced Naru and prepared herself for a confrontation, but relaxed somewhat as she saw the subdued look that she wore. Naru crossed the room, looking as if she was trying to say something but couldn't find the words. Finally her eyes fell on the picture Nabiki was still holding close to her.

"Is that him?" Naru asked hesitantly. "Your fiancé I mean."

Nabiki looked back down at the photo. "Yeah, this is Ranma."

"He's really cute." It was painfully obvious that Naru was trying to find a way to say whatever it was she had come to tell her. Nabiki decided to let her off the hook and lighten the moment just this once.

"More like a stud. You should see him with his shirt off." _In both his forms_, Nabiki added in her mind.

Naru laughed at this. Finally she looked into Nabiki's eyes and sighed.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. I only heard part of what was said and jumped to the wrong conclusion." Naru looked down. This clearly wasn't something she was accustomed to doing. "Also, I wanted to thank you for agreeing to help Keitaro, Mutsumi, and me with the entrance exam. Kami knows we can use all the help we can get."

Nabiki allowed her a small smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Apology accepted. By the way, my name is Nabiki Tendo."

"Naru Narusegawa," she replied as a smile of her own crossed her face. Then she giggled. "Do you think I could have another peek at the stud?"

Nabiki handed her the picture frame before she realized that she had forgotten that it was a double frame. She was quickly made aware of her oversight when Naru turned to her questioningly.

"Uh, Nabiki, who is this in the other frame?"

Inside, Nabiki went cold. She really didn't think anybody here would understand about Ranma's curse especially since he wasn't around to prove that she wasn't crazy. Luckily for her, she was a quick thinker.

"Oh, that's Ranma's twin sister, Ranko." She notices Naru's eye twitch ever so slightly at the mention of Ranma's alias. _Can it be that she's met Ranma before? I swear if she's another fiancée his father arranged, there's going to be one less panda on the endangered species list._

Naru, meanwhile, was lost in her own thoughts. _I guess the Kami are on my side for once. It doesn't look like she knows. Oh well, they say turnabout is fair play._

Nabiki took note of the feral grin that had spread across Naru's face but before she could question her further, Su popped her head into the room. "Oh, there you two are. Shinobu says it's time for dinner."

"Thanks, Su," Naru said as she handed the frame back to Nabiki. With another quick smile to Nabiki, she took off towards the dining room.

Nabiki just stood there for a minute before putting the frame back in her suitcase. Something was definitely up with Naru. Nabiki was sure of this. Any further thought on the subject was interrupted as her stomach announced its desire for dinner.

_Oh well. It's not like I'm going anywhere. I'll figure this out in time.

* * *

_

Dinner was an interesting affair to say the least. Between Kistune's drunken sake binge (which no one had as yet been able to figure out where she had gotten it) and Su's demand every five minutes for more food, Nabiki was beginning to wonder if she had traded one mad house for another. She couldn't believe how many aspects of her old life seemed to follow her wherever she went. As the meal progressed, she began to sort through the people she would be living with for the next few years.

Seeing as how Su was attracting the most attention at the time, Nabiki began to regard her first. Immediately thoughts of Shampoo came to mind. It wasn't just because she was a foreigner or the fact that she sometimes referred to herself in the third person. It was the almost the incessant amount of energy that the young blond seemed to possess that made Nabiki wary. It would explain all the food she was consuming, though. Nabiki decided that she needed to tread carefully with her, but still make an effort to become a good friend or, at least, an important ally. After all, if what she said earlier was true, she was a member of royalty.

The raucous that Kitsune was causing directed Nabiki's attention towards her next. Ignoring the fact that she was stone drunk, although she had always had her suspicions, the comparison that came to mind was that of Ukyo. The accent and mannerisms the two of them shared were simply uncanny. Besides that, Ukyo, like Kitsune now, Nabiki had always suspected to have a keen and calculating mind. It was plain from all the schemes that Ukyo had hatched in order to steal Ranma away. Kitsune's eyes told of a similar cunning that fit her name. Nabiki decided to keep a close eye on her as well.

It was Naru that Nabiki was having the hardest time figuring out. She had thought she had had her pegged after the incident with the lease signing. It wasn't hard, by any means, to see much of her younger sister come out in this girl. She obviously had a thing for Keitaro. The problem was that, like Akane, she also had some hang-ups with letting those feelings show. Because of this, all her emotions kept growing and growing until they were finally released by her jealousy whenever she saw anything that seemed to be an attempt to take him from her. Unfortunately, because she continued to deny the truth of what she was feeling, she made him the target of her explosions.

_Yep, definitely like Akane. And the results are likely to be the same_, Nabiki thought.

This is where Nabiki found herself with an internal struggle. After seeing her initial actions, Nabiki didn't see anything in Naru to make her feel any sympathy since the man that she loved had suffered the same kind of abuse that the brown-haired girl had inflicted on Keitaro. Things were a little different now. Naru had done the one thing that Nabiki had never known her own dear sister to do: she had admitted she had made a mistake and apologized for her actions. While Nabiki doubted that Keitaro had been the recipient of such regrets, it was still something that was to be considered. Nabiki wondered whether or not she should reveal all the facts of her past. Such examples may help them salvage a relationship before it was too late. The only thing that was stopping her was the fact that Naru was still keeping something from her concerning Ranma, or at the very least his female side. Nabiki decided to wait and see what happened before talking to her about Keitaro.

Keitaro. Now there was an interesting specimen. He seemed in many aspects to be the exact opposite of Ranma. He was obviously no martial artist or even a decent athlete from the looks of him. His self-confidence was close to zero. Yet there was one thing about him that reminded Nabiki so much of her beloved. Keitaro refused to give up on his dream. That much was obvious from the fact that he had taken the entrance exam for Tokyo U three times, failed three times, and yet still refused to pursue any other course of action. Tokyo U was where he was going and nothing was going to stop him from reaching that goal. Aside from the fact that he refused to let the girls and their abuse get to him, it was his only redeeming quality. His skills as a manager were mediocre to say the least. He may have kept the building from falling apart, but that was about it. Thanks to all the damage the girls caused through him, the apartments were almost broke.

_Well, that's something I think I can work to change._

Nabiki was impressed with the quality of the food. She found it to be amazing that it had all been prepared by Shinobu. When she heard that she had learned all of her skills in her parents' restaurant, she decided it wouldn't hurt to get to know the young girl a little bit better. From what she could see, Shinobu also had a schoolgirl crush on the young manager of the hinata apartments. Nabiki knew, though, that such feelings would never be returned. Shinobu was just too young. Like Shampoo and Ukyo, Nabiki suspected that Shinobu had an idea of the truth, but still clung to some hope that she might be wrong. Sadly, Nabiki let out a small sigh. She knew she would have to help with this as well. She didn't want to see the resident chef hurt. She just reminded Nabiki too much of Kasumi.

_KASUMI. I still haven't called to let her and the rest of them know where I am._

Nabiki thanked Shinobu for the meal and carried her plate into the kitchen. After depositing it into the sink, she walked upstairs to her room. After she pulled her cell phone from her purse (Gucci, of course), she walked over to her window. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching, she climbed onto the window sill and grabbed the overhang. With a little effort, she pulled herself up and onto the roof.

_Another plus to my room, _Nabiki thought to herself as she dialed home on the cell phone. _If, no when, Ranma finally comes back for me, we'll have a way he can come into my room without causing any trouble. I doubt the girls could hurt him in anyway but it's best not to make a fuss if it can be avoided._

As she finished dialing the number and put the placed the earpiece into her ear, she sat down on the end of the roof and watched the sun as it set over the horizon. The sky was awash with a brilliant display of color, mostly a fiery red that reminded her once more of the man she wished was next to her to share in the dazzling display. It took her a moment before she realized there was an angry voice coming from her earpiece.

"I swear if this is another prank call about Ranma I'm gonna…"

"Chill, little sister, it's just me."

"Nabiki?" Akane exclaimed. "How are you doing? Where are you? Why didn't you speak up when I answered the phone?"

"Calm down, Akane. One question at a time." Nabiki sighed. Apparently her sister was still a bit flustered over Ranma even after three months of him being gone. "First of all, I'm just fine. I'm actually on the roof of my new apartment building. As for why I didn't answer right away, well, let's just say I was distracted for a bit."

"Okay, why are you on the roof, though?"

Nabiki flinched, thankful that Akane wasn't able to see her reaction over the phone. There was no way that she could tell her the real reason that she come up here. It had become a habit for her to sneak onto the roof back at home, one Ranma had got her started with and one she had kept doing after he left as a way to remember some of the nice times they had had up there, lying back, just looking at the stars and talking as they held each other close. Akane still didn't know that she was the girl Ranma had been sneaking off on dates with. They hadn't told her for two reasons. First, neither one wanted to see her hurt like that. They both knew that the youngest Tendo daughter really loved Ranma, no matter how much she denied it. Second, they also didn't want to see Nabiki hurt. While Akane might, and that was the key word, not hurt her own sister physically, she would certainly be mad enough to say something at school the next chance she got. Eventually, word would get back to Shampoo and Ukyo and they WOULD do something to hurt her. Nabiki had to think fast.

"I, uh, had to come up here to get a decent reception. This place is surrounded by mountains."

"Oh, I see."

"Listen, sis, I haven't got a lot of time to talk right now. Can you put Kasumi on for me?"

"Sure, just one sec."

As she heard Akane call for Kasumi, Nabiki turned back towards the sunset once more. She sighed sadly as she longed once again to be able to share it with her fiancé.

"Nabiki, is that you"?

Kasumi's voice brought her back down to Earth. "Yeah, it's me, Kasumi. I just wanted to check in with you guys and let you know where I would be staying now."

"Is it a nice place? Akane mentioned something about mountains."

"It's beautiful out here and really peaceful." _With one or two little exceptions_, Nabiki thought. "Look, sis. I need you to do me a favor. The movers will be arriving tomorrow to get my stuff. Would you mind supervising them for me? I have to finish up my registration back at the University."

"Of course. Where do I tell them to send it to?"

"I'm staying at a place called Hinata. It should be pretty simple for them to find my apartment building. It used to be a hot springs resort of some kind, but now it's an all-girl's dorm called simply the Hinata Apartments."

Nabiki jerked the phone away from her ears as she heard a loud crash come over the other end of the line. After another minute, she asked, "Kasumi, is everything alright over there?"

"Yes, of course, Nabiki. I'm afraid I just dropped the phone that's all. Did you say you were staying in the Hinata Apartments?" Nabiki could have sworn she heard a set of chopsticks snap on the other end of the line

"That's right. The weird thing is I get the feeling that I have been here before. There are things that just seem so familiar to me. Do you have any idea why?"

On the other end of the line back in Nerima, Kasumi was in a dilemma. _What do I say now?_ Kasumi thought. _Maybe just a little bit of the truth._ She returned her thoughts to the conversation.

"Well, if I recall, we spent a vacation there, but you were so young, I'm not surprised you don't remember. It was just a year after Akane was born and you were only two yourself. I can't recall that much my self except…"

"Except what, Kasumi?" Nabiki asked, suddenly more interested. Something more was definitely going on.

"Well, there was this little boy there at the same time. I remember playing with him many times on the playground." Kasumi giggled at the warm memory. "We even made a pinky promise that we would go to Tokyo U together when we grew up." Had Nabiki's phone not been clipped to her belt, it would have been smashed to pieces after having fallen from the roof. As it was the conversation was paused for several seconds until she recovered from her shock.

"Uh, sis, you don't happen to remember his name, do you?"

Kasumi smiled. "Of course. It was Keitaro Urashima."

After a few more minutes of going over all the details for the movers, the two sisters said goodbye. As she hung up the phone, Kasumi couldn't stop a few tears from falling down her face. "Oh, Nabiki, I hope you are prepared for what you may discover." She wiped her face with her apron before rejoining her family in the dining room. It took another twenty minutes to calm her father down after telling everybody where Nabiki was living.

* * *

Nabiki hit the 'End Call' button on her phone and continued to watch as the sun faded over the horizon. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice a figure walking up behind her. 

"It is a rather lovely view, isn't it?" a soft voiced asked from behind her.

Nabiki jumped slightly at the sound, but quickly composed herself. "Yes, it really is." She turned around and found her self face to face with…

"Kasumi?" Nabiki exclaimed as she looked back and forth between the phone still on her belt and the face staring back at her.

"No, my name is Mutsumi," she said with a warm smile.

Nabiki just continued to stare in shock. The resemblance was uncanny. Here in front of her was the spitting image of the older sister she had just got done talking to on her phone. Everything from Mutsumi's height and stature to the 'everything is so perfect' smile on her face made Nabiki think that she was looking at the person who had cared for her family ever since her mother died. Frantically, Nabiki worked to calm her mind and emotions.

"I'm sorry. It's just that you remind me of my older sister. Her name is Kasumi."

"Oh my." Mutsumi brought her hand to her mouth and giggled. She failed to notice the slight twitch that appeared in the corner of Nabiki's eyes at her words. "Isn't that strange?"

Nabiki shook her head. "Just how did you get up here anyway?" she asked, looking her up and down. _She doesn't seem like a martial artist or anyone else who could make the climb from a window._

Mutsumi smiled and pointed to the other end of the roof. "I came from over the porch over there. It's only a small jump to get from the edge to…"

Her words faded as her eyes rolled upwards and closed. Nabiki barely moved in time to catch the fainting girl before she fell off the roof to the pavement below. After checking for a pulse and making sure she was alright for the time being, she laid her down on the roof.

"Great, how am I going to get her down from here?" Nabiki looked to the direction Mutsumi had pointed in. "Well, she had to get up here somehow herself and she did say something about a small jump from a porch." With that, Nabiki lifted Mutsumi into her arms and carried her to the edge she had indicated earlier. When she reached the end, she saw that there was indeed a porch that allowed easy access to the roof she was currently on. As she walked toward the stairs, Nabiki heard a voice from below.

"Hey, Nabiki, why don't you come down to the hot springs and relax for a bit."

Nabiki looked down and saw Naru waving at her from the water below. Looking around her, she noticed that Shinobu, Kitsune, and Su were down there as well.

"What about her? Nabiki called back, indicating the girl she was carrying.

"Oh, did Mutsumi have another fainting spell?" Kitsune asked. When Nabiki nodded, she continued. "Don't y'all worry your pretty little head. She has them often. Just put her down in her bed and she'll be fine."

After getting directions to Mutsumi's room from Naru, Nabiki carried her there and put the poor girl in her bad and covered her up. She then went to her own room, took off her clothes, and wrapped herself in a bath towel from her suitcase. Gathering up her bathing products, she headed down to the hot spring below. When she got there, Nabiki immediately noted the new face among the tenants. Naru handled the introductions.

"Hey, Nabiki, this is Motoko. She just got back with a training journey with our last tenant." Naru had a slight grin on her face as she said this last part. Nabiki was about to question her more on the subject when Kitsune stepped in with her own question for Motoko.

"So did y'all learn anything new from your sensei?" she asked, laughing.

"She is not my sensei," Motoko exclaimed, standing. When she saw everyone staring at her outburst, she sat back down in the water and lowered her voice. "We are training each other so no one is master over the other."

"Whatever y'all say, girl," Kitsune smirked.

Over the next half-hour, Nabiki learned quite a bit about the newest arrival. Motoko, it seemed, was a priestess of some kind from an ancient family with a long history of battling demons using ki attacks with her sword. In a way, her demeanor reminded Nabiki a little of Kuno. She had the samurai heart and mindset. She also seemed to have a commanding knowledge of the sword. In fact, based on what she was hearing, Nabiki believed this girl Motoko could give him a real run for his yen. Thankfully she didn't have any of his other 'eccentricies'.

* * *

Nightfall found Nabiki on the roof once again. She had gone through a very busy day. For sure it had been exciting. That being said, she had sought solace in the one way she had found to be best for her nerves. As she lay back and looked up at the stars, her mind wandered back to everything that had happened. 

_I'm actually starting a new life away from my home. I've proven that I can handle my own living arrangements as well as set myself up in a legitimate enterprise. I've made quite a few friends already and hopefully some future business contacts as well._

_So why do I still feel like something is wrong here? Ever since I got here, I've had an uncomfortable feeling?_

_I wish Ranma were here. He always has a way of making me feel safe._

Tears ran down Nabiki's face as she thought on the man she loved. In her mind she could imagine his arms wrapped around her as they gazed into the heavens. Slowly, she stood up to go inside.

"Ranma, I miss you so much."

"Funny," a soft voice said from behind her. "I was just thinking the same thing about you."

Nabiki started as she felt a pair of arms envelop her waist. Very slowly those same arms turned her around so that she could face the source of the sweetest sounding voice in the world to her.

"Ranma?" Nabiki's hand came up and caressed his cheek. She felt the warmth his skin against her palm as he drew her in closer and kissed her lips lightly. Convinced it wasn't a dream, Nabiki engulfed him in a hug that would have made a certain Amazon look on with envy.

"Hey, Biki. It's been a while."

"I knew you would find me," she said, tears running down her face. "I knew you would keep your word."

Ranma laughed. "Actually it's the other way around. It looks like you kept the promise that I made to you."

Nabiki pulled back slightly. "I don't understand."

"Nabiki, I live here." Ranma moved quickly to catch her as Nabiki promptly fainted.

* * *

Author's Notes

Now do you see what I meant when I said Ranma couldn't find Nabiki at the Hinata apartments? Turns out Ranma's been living there for the past few months. I know it sounds like a great coincidence but hey this is Ranma we're talking about.

Anyway that's it for chapter one. I hope you all enjoyed it. Chapter two will come in about another month I hope. Until then, I appreciate all C&C.


	3. Leaving Home

Yes, It's me again. I am finally back and able to update. For those of you who thoguth I was dead and gone: Sorry no such luck. Dark Descent and You'll never be gone will be updated soon as well as another chapter of Hogwarts 1/2 and Ranma Unplugged, all within the next two or three weeks. As usual, I make no money off of these stories. Have fun.

TRIALS OF LOVE

CH 2: Leaving Home

Nabiki awoke as the first rays of the day streamed through her windows and landed on her eyes. Immediately, she shut them again, a warm smile on her face as she tried to revisit the dream she had had the night before. A wave of warmth fell over her that had nothing to do with the sunlight pouring through her window.

It was a dream she had been having for quite a while now, ever since Ranma had first left. It always left her with a sense of hope, knowing that he was somewhere out there, looking for her. The first few times, whenever she woke, she would look around to see if he had really come back. After a while, she had come to accept that they were only dreams.

This one was different, however. Nabiki thought that she had actually been able to feel his arms around her. As she tried to roll over away from the sunlight, she found her progress impeded for some reason.

That's when it hit her. She could still feel a pair of arms holding her tightly.

_But I'm awake now, aren't I? How can I still be having this dream when I'm awake?_

Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked down to her waist. There was indeed a pair of arms wrapped around her, hands flat against her stomach. There was something different about them, though. They were smaller and not as well defined as Ranma's arms. Still, the muscles were perfectly toned for their size. It took Nabiki a full minute before she realized where she had seen them before.

Carefully, she rolled to her other side to face the person lying against her back. Instead of jet black hair, however, what she met was a mane of the fieriest red. The trademark pigtail was gone, pulled back instead into a long ponytail which appeared as though it would fall down past her shoulders. A look of infinite peace adorned the petite face in front of Nabiki. As she reached out a hand to caress her cheek, Nabiki felt Ranma begin to stir.

"Morning, Biki," she said as she smiled dreamily at her.

Nabiki brought back her shaking hand from her lover's face and gripped it with her other to steady it. Ranma sat up and drew her close against her chest so that Nabiki could hear the heartbeat that confirmed the redhead's existence. Slowly, Nabiki drew back and took in the person in front of her. Her voice was unsteady as she finally spoke.

"It really wasn't a dream," Nabiki said as the tears poured from her eyes. "You're really here."

Ranma reached up and began to wipe the tears away from Nabiki's face. "Now come on, Biki, you know I don't like to see you cry," she said. "It just messes up that lovely face of yours." Ranma grinned as he saw Nabiki's face brighten into a series of giggles. "Yes, I'm really here. Can you feel me?"

Nabiki reached up and took hold of the hand on her cheek. The warmth she felt no longer left any doubt in her mind that what she was seeing was, in fact, real. Memories of the previous night's dream flooded back to her in such detail that she soon realized that it hadn't been a dream at all. She looked around and realized that it wasn't her room she was in. This one was sparsely decorated with hardly any furniture at all. In fact, other than a few posters of martial arts movies plus a dresser in a corner, it was just like the room that Ranma had shared with his father back in Nerima. Nabiki turned back to look once more into the eyes of her fiancé.

"You really do live here," She stated. Ranma nodded at this. "But this is an all-girl's dorm. If you've been living here for the past three months, then that means…"

"I've had to do so in my cursed form," Ranma confirmed.

Nabiki noted the fact that, unlike all the other times she had been forced to stay in her cursed form, this time Ranma didn't show any signs of resentment to the situation. "Maybe you'd better start from the beginning."

"It is a long story and, if I'm not mistaken, you still have to complete your registration at Tokyo University." Ranma leaned in and placed a quick kiss on Nabiki's forehead. "Congratulations, by the way. I always knew that you could do it."

Nabiki looked down at her watch and yelped as she saw what time it was. "You're right; I need to leave soon if I am going to make my appointments." She rushed to her room with Ranma following close behind. Nabiki reached her suitcase and began rummaging through it, looking for a clean outfit to wear for the day. As she began to undress, she suddenly paused and turned back towards Ranma. "Um, Ranma, could I please have a little privacy?"

Ranma grinned and walked over to her, slipping her arms around Nabiki's waist and holding her close. "Now don't you think you're being a little silly," she whispered in Nabiki's ear. "After all, we're both girls right now and it has been a while since we've seen each other." As her voice wavered off, Ranma began to lightly nibble on the ear she had been whispering into. Nabiki just grinned.

"That's exactly my point: We're both girls right now and unless I'm wrong, which I'm usually not, nobody here knows about your curse or rather the fact that you are really a guy. How would it look if someone were to come in and see us like this?" Nabiki felt she had gotten her point across adequately when Ranma released her and began moving to the door, a mock look of disappointment on her face.

"By the way, I've been going by the name Ranko here."

Nabiki kept her grin. "Well, that solves a potential problem."

Ranma stopped and turned to face her. "What do you mean?"

Nabiki pointed at her suitcase as she moved over to the closet since it was apparent that neither one of them really wanted Ranma to leave. "Take a look in the bottom." She quickly changed and came out of the closet to find Ranma standing by her suitcase holding the silver picture frame against her chest. Tears were streaming down her face. Nabiki came up to her and wiped away Ranma's tears just as Ranma had done for her earlier. "Tears don't exactly make you look any better either."

Ranma smiled. "So what was the problem that was solved?"

Nabiki chuckled. "Naru saw me looking at that last night and I told her the female you was my fiancé's twin sister, Ranko." She took the frame from her love's grasp and replaced it in the bottom of her case. "Why were you crying anyway?"

Ranma reached into her shirt, withdrawing a golden heart-shaped locket and opening it. "Because I found it amazing how much we think alike." She showed Nabiki the pictures inside. On one side was a small photo of Ranma in his male form, flashing a V sign with his fingers. The other one was of Nabiki herself making the same gesture. "This way I figured I would have a reminder that no matter what happened, we would always be with each other in our hearts."

Nabiki could feel the tears threatening to come to her eyes. She quickly blinked them away as she remembered that she had to get started with her day. She turned to Ranma as an inspiration hit her. "Are you doing anything today?"

Ranma thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I was going to see if Haruka needed any help in her teahouse today," she replied. Slipping a hand around onto Nabiki's hip, a sly grin came to her face. "Did you have a something in mind?"

"Down, girl. I was thinking that perhaps my fiancé would like to go with me to my new school while I finish my registration. You can tell me that long story of yours on the train ride."

Ranma kissed her cheek. "Give me a few minutes to change. I'll meet you out front." She quickly left as Nabiki headed downstairs, a warm feeling washing over her for the first time in months.

An hour later, a now male Ranma grasped the bar overhead as he shifted his weight with the movements of the train taking him to Tokyo. The reason he was male stood beside him, one arm raised to hold onto the bar over her own head while the other was wrapped around the waist of the aforementioned martial artist. Nabiki held tight to Ranma for more than just balance. She had three months of lost time to make up for and she fully intended to do so as completely as possible.

The train ride was an hour and a half from Hinata to the campus of Tokyo University. Thankfully for Nabiki, after the first thirty minutes the train pulled into one of the stations on its route and two people vacated the seats right next to where she was standing. Nabiki wasted no time in claiming the valued places for herself and Ranma. Once they started moving again, she grasped her fiancé's hand, causing him to look in her direction.

"I believe you still have a story to tell me, Ranma-kun."

Ranma could see by the look in her eyes that she wasn't going to be letting this go any time soon and figured now was as good a time as any to tell his tale.

"I guess I should start with the night I left. Truth is I was almost convinced to stay."

"Oh?" Nabiki asked. "Why is that?"

Ranma smiled. "Did you know that you sometimes talk in your sleep?"

FLASHBACK: THREE MONTHS AGO

Ranma stirred as he woke up to a soft voice in his ear. Looking around, he realized he was still in Nabiki's room. The clock by her bedside told him it was already three in the morning, well past the time he had planned on leaving. He knew that Kasumi would be waking in a few hours in order to make breakfast for the family and, despite the fact that she wasn't a martial artist or had any kind of real training, she still seemed to hear every little sound that was made in the house. That is, whenever she was awake she did. For that reason Ranma knew he had to leave now if he wasn't going to be discovered. Thoughts of leaving temporarily left his head as a voice by his side drew his attention.

"Mmmm…Ranma, I need you so much." Nabiki's words were soft and quiet. This was no surprise seeing as how she was still asleep in Ranma's arms. Ranma could feel the warm breath coming from her mouth against his neck as she spoke. It was such a comfortable feeling that he soon felt himself starting to drift away once more. It was only at the last second that he snapped himself awake. It wouldn't do for two reasons. The first being the fact that if any of the other residents of the Tendo compound found him asleep in Nabiki's bed, the resulting chaos would be impossible to contain.

The second reason was the one that put the most fear into his heart. Ranma knew that if any of his official fiancées, plus one slightly deranged unofficial one, ever found out that he and Nabiki were a couple, while he would not receive any permanent injury, the woman he loved would not be as lucky. Despite the fact that Ranma had been secretly training her in his Art, he knew that Nabiki was still nowhere near the skill level necessary to defend herself for a sufficient period of time against his other suitors, let alone defeat them. Ranma knew for a fact that Shampoo would attack Nabiki, either with or without warning, for his hand as per her Amazon law. There was no guarantee that she would stop at hurting, maiming or even killing Nabiki. Ukyo would be the same, although probably not as extreme. She would more than likely stop after breaking a few bones. Despite her sweet nature, when it came to Ranma, Ukyo was as fierce as any Amazon. As for Kodachi, Ranma didn't even want to think of the kind of torture that she would put his Biki-chan through.

Ranma wasn't too worried about Akane harming Nabiki physically unless she found out that Nabiki had once more taken up the Art. For reasons that Ranma had yet to discover, Nabiki had given up the Art when she was twelve. The only thing he knew was that it had something to do with Akane and that Nabiki literally feared her finding out that she had restarted. Despite the danger, she had thrown herself into her training with a passion Ranma had never seen from her, save a few private moments they had spent together in the evenings. The only reason that their relationship was kept a secret from Akane was that Nabiki was convinced that the short-tempered girl really was in love with the pig-tailed Martial Artist even if she wouldn't admit it, not even to herself. Nabiki was sure that, while her sister would never physically harm her, there was nothing to stop her from saying something out of anger. Eventually, such words would reach the ears of the other fiancées. Ranma knew that he couldn't always be there to protect his newest and, in his mind, only fiancée from harm. This one thought was enough to steel himself to his course.

Gently, he removed his arms from around Nabiki and laid her back down on the bed. Ranma looked down on her angelic face as it was bathed in the light of the full moon. A sad look came across his face as he realized that he really didn't know when he would ever be able to see her again. It was almost enough to make him stay, but he knew that was no longer an option. They would never be able to even acknowledge their love, let alone live in peace, until he had found a way to deal with the other fiancées for good.

The Tendo agreement was easy enough to take care of; all he had to do was switch his engagement to Nabiki. Ranma just wanted to be able to do so in a way that wouldn't destroy Akane. Despite the way she abused him, he still cared about her and didn't want to see her hurt too badly.

His engagement to Ukyo could be solved by adopting her into the Saotome clan. Ranma had discovered this when he had searched his father's pack for a solution to his various problems. Fortune had smiled on him when he found the original document signed by his and Ukyo's father. Instead of specifying marriage, the agreement was worded so that Ukyo was to be made a Saotome. Thus, adoption would seem the most obvious solution. Ranma knew, however, that this would be unacceptable to Ukyo as she was too smitten with him to accept anything short of marriage. Ranma's honor would not allow him to force her to walk a path that she didn't wish to any more than it would allow him to do the same.

The Amazons would be the hardest to deal with. Simply because of the way their society was structured, the majority of their laws were unknown to him, both as a male and as an outsider. This led Ranma to believe that somewhere buried with them was a provision that would release him from the marriage law while still enabling Shampoo to return to China with her honor intact. Literally hundreds of hours of searching by both himself and Nabiki had thus far failed to find an available source for the laws. Nabiki had at one time suggested requesting help from someone within the Amazon tribe itself without Cologne's knowledge. The problem with that idea was that they had no way of knowing if anybody would help them. The idea was not without merit, however, so they decided to keep that option open.

Ranma shook his head and banished his thoughts. Another look at the bedside clock revealed that dawn was fast approaching. If he was to leave, it was to be now. He knew this. Ranma turned back to Nabiki. She looked so peaceful lying in her bed. It pained Ranma to see her with such a pleasant smile on her face knowing that in the morning her heart would be torn. There was simply no other choice. Ranma covered her with the blanket on the foot of her bed and bent down to kiss her forehead, eliciting a sigh from her. Walking back to the window, he stopped and took on last look back before he climbed up to the roof and grabbed his pack. When he reached the gate, he took one last look back at what had been his only home in his entire life. Giving a final sigh, he turned and walked away.

TWO DAYS LATER

Ranma dug into his pack to find his stash of money that he had been saving for just such an occasion. Despite his desire to always keep his honor true, he knew there would be times when a greater good would have to be served by performing acts that were less than desirable. Being a martial artist, he had, of course, heard of these underground fights where the whole point was merely to pound your opponent and provide an event for others to gamble on. He never thought he would ever enter one. Of course, Ranma had never thought that his life would have come to the point where he would be on his own so early on.

Ranma pulled out a wad of bills and counted them out. He hadn't had time to do so before he left and he wanted to be sure that he still had the same amount as when he had last checked the previous month. It hadn't been easy to save up his earnings from working at the Nekohanten. It had proven even harder to hide his stash from his old man. Sometimes it seemed like his pop had an ingrained and inhuman ability to find money the same way that the old freak could find even the most carefully hidden piece of women's underwear. After he had confirmed that he still had the 150,000 yen he started with, he stowed his pack and walked towards the entrance of the warehouse that the 'tournament' was being held in. He had made it about halfway before he caught his reflection in a window and was hit by a sudden inspiration.

Ranma quickly ran back to his pack and pulled out one of two thermoses that he kept filled at all times. This one had cold water while the other held hot. As he was about to pour it over himself, he found that his mind was debating with his conscious on the details of whether his actions were honorable. Finally after a few minutes, he unscrewed the top and doused himself, quickly changing from a he to a she. After all, if there was one thing that his father had taught him, it was that one should take any advantage that they have for they never knew when they would truly need it. After quickly drying herself off, Ranma hid her pack once more and walked into the warehouse.

When Ranma walked in, she could feel eyes immediately turn in her direction. While it was not uncommon for pretty women to be at these events, they were always accompanying some wealthy gentleman who had come to place bets on the matches. The fact that she was dressed to fight made Ranma stand out even more. The stares were ignored as Ranma made her way to the registration table.

When it came her turn to sign up, the guy behind the table merely gave her a disapproving sneer. On the inside, Ranma was smiling. This was exactly the kind of reaction she had been hoping for. It was obvious from the grins on the faces of the other fighters that they were not seriously considering her a threat to their chances. For appearances, Ranma contorted her face into a stern frown that even Nabiki would have been proud of as she addressed the guy behind the table.

"Is there a problem with me entering this thing?" she asked with a hint of anger in her voice. The flunky was not impressed.

"For you, yes. You see, we don't have a featherweight division here." This comment drew laughs from the other fighters and caused Ranma's face to a shade of red that rivaled her own hair. "Why don't you go home before you get hurt or something?"

"What if I gave you a small demonstration? After that you can decide whether or not I am capable of entering," Ranma growled.

Before he could give an answer, Ranma reached across the table and grabbed the stooge by the collar of his shirt. Pivoting her body 180 degrees, she flipped him over her shoulder and imbedded him in the nearby wall, where he slumped down unconscious. Ranma turned to face the small crowd of fighters around her.

"Does anyone else have an objection?" The way she said this made it clear that it was more of a challenge than a question. When no one spoke up, Ranma reached over the table and signed her name on the registration sheet, placing 100,000 in the money tin. On the table was a short list of rules that the fighters had to agree to abide by before being allowed to enter. Glancing over these she learned that it was a winner take all fight with thirty fighters total. This meant that the final winner would receive three million yen. It was a number Ranma could live with, but she also knew that there was another chance to make even more.

She made her way to the other side of the warehouse where various bookies were taking bets on the fighters. Since a final roster was still not available, things were a little slow at the time although there were a few people betting on which match would draw first blood and, to Ranma's horror, what the chances were of a death occurring. Despite the lack of a final list of fighters, Ranma was sure she could get her bet in now. She singled out the best dressed bookie out of the bunch and walked up to him. When she reached him, Ranma could see that she had made the right choice. Not only was this guy the best dressed, he was also the most protected. No less than three thugs were around him and those were the ones that were easily visible. Ranma, however, was able to pick out at least two others in the shadows.

"And what can I do for a pretty thing like yourself?" the bookie asked. The sneer was plainly heard in his voice as he spoke. Ranma frowned.

"I want to place a small wager," she replied.

"Sorry, little girl, I don't do small. Why don't you go see if your boyfriend can give you some more money? I also don't take bets before I see a roster of fighters. It's just bad for business."

"What's the minimum for a bet with you?" Ranma chose to ignore the way the bookie had said boyfriend. It just wouldn't do for him to pound the guy and tip everyone off as to his skill. Not that it would have taken that much to lay this guy out, but why take the chance.

"It's 50,000 minimum." The smirk he had plastered on his face quickly disappeared when Ranma reached into her shirt and pulled out the last of her money. She made sure that she also gave this guy a small hint of a show when she did so. Keeping this guy dumb would be to her advantage, after all.

"I don't know about the rest of the fighters, so I'm taking a big chance betting on this for me to win it all," Ranma remarked. "How about giving me some good odds?" The look on the guy's face was almost worth the trouble in itself.

"YOU entered the tournament?" he asked incredulously. Seeing Ranma's nod, he quickly sent one of his people to verify this. "Assuming you're telling me the truth, I think we could give you some odds. You obviously haven't seen what kind of people participate in this tournament. What kind of odds were you thinking of?"

Ranma merely stared back in a way that could have bore right through the bookie. "How much can you afford?"

Before he could answer, the bookie's attention was grabbed by a shrill whistle. Looking over, he caught sight of the lackey he had sent to the registration table. The lackey in turn gave a single thumbs-up that was quickly followed by a second one with his other hand. Smiling broadly, the bookie turned back to Ranma.

"I can afford quite a bit. Since you are such a pretty little thing, I think I can be nice and give you say 100-1 odds."

"You will understand if I want that in writing." One thing Ranma had learned from Nabiki was always get it in writing. It makes it harder for the other person to back out. Not that Ranma didn't expect this person wouldn't try to anyway.

"Always do. Like I said before, to do otherwise would just be bad for business." Ranma couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about the way this guy in front of him kept repeating that same phrase. He was sure that something else Nabiki had told him before was trying to reach the conscious part of his mind. Further speculation was cut off as an announcement was heard calling the fighters together for their first match assignments. Ranma grabbed the betting slip from the bookie and headed back to the registration table. Once she got there, she got the line-up for the first set of matches.

As she looked at the others who had signed up for the tournament, Ranma found it hard to suppress the grin she felt rising inside of her. Just by looking, she could tell that none of these guys had any experience channeling their ki. Ranma knew this would give him a great advantage in both speed and strength. In fact, most of those entered could not even be called true martial artists. They were mostly thugs. Guys who were looking to make themselves feel big simply by pounding the blood out of someone else.

While Ranma waited for her first match, she read up on what few rules there were. She breathed a small sigh of relief when she noticed that weapons of any kind were forbidden in the fights. Apparently, they tended to end the matches way too soon for the crowds liking. Among other things, there was also a twenty minute time limit in all but the final match (this was a no time limit fight) and victory was claimed by either a knockout or submission of your opponent. Ranma decided to go for the latter as much as possible. Despite what she was doing, she had no desire to hurt anyone more than was necessary.

When she entered the ring for her first match and saw her opponent however, Ranma realized this would not always be the case. The man was HUGE. Obviously a gaijin, more likely American by the accent, he had arms and legs that were about as big around as Ranma's entire body. A heavy plaid shirt covered his overly developed chest while a pair of blue jeans struggled to remain intact around his lower body. He towered over Ranma and sneered at her as he tried to decide if this was some kind of a joke.

"You gotta be kiddin' me," he yelled. "I thought I told youse guys I wanted some kinda challenge this time. Now you stick me with a girl and a weak one at that."

Ranma felt her anger rise as she heard this giant oaf's ranting. It wasn't so much that he had called her a girl. After having the curse for over a year and a half now, she had become more accepting, although grudgingly, of it. It wasn't even the fact that he was calling her weak just based on her appearance. Ranma knew how strong she was and that appearances never gave you the entire story. The Old Ghoul had proven that lesson to him many times as had the perverted master.

No, what really pulled at Ranma's temper was the fact that her opponent was calling her weak because she WAS a girl right now. Despite all the times her baka father had told her that girls were weaklings, Ranma had come to realize just how untrue that was. She knew of at least three girls, not including herself, who had vast amounts of strength. Many times feeling the impacts of various mallets, bonbori, and spatulas had more than proven that. Her mother also had strength though it was strength of honor. Kasumi had shown Ranma how duty was also a great strength when you stuck to it all costs.

The last person she thought about was Nabiki. With the training she had been getting from Ranma, she had slowly built her body up to a formidable level. She still couldn't go toe to toe with any of the "unwanted" fiancées but it was still a great improvement over what she had started with. That wasn't what was her true strength, though. It was her mind and her focus of will that was truly a force to contend with. There probably wasn't a single situation for which Nabiki was unprepared or could talk herself out of. It was just another reason Ranma loved her so much. She let out a small sigh as she thought about the woman she loved. It didn't go unnoticed though it was misinterpreted.

"I see ya agree with me," the giant smirked. "I tells ya what, little girl. Why don't ya just walk out now so I don't have to damage that pretty little face of yers."

Ranma quickly stowed her anger with her Soul of Ice technique and cracked her knuckles. "Funny, I was just about to offer you the same thing though I doubt the pretty part would fit you."

That was all that was needed as the man in front of her charged in a blind rage, aiming a fist directly to her nose. "That's it, bitch. I did warn ya. Now it's time for a lesson in respect."

To Ranma it was as if he was moving in slow motion. A feral grin appeared on her face. "I couldn't agree more."

Just when it seemed like the match was going to end with a broken nose, Ranma leaped into the air and allowed the freight train to run by beneath her. She landed on his shoulders, quickly used two fingers to jab at certain points on the back of the guy's neck, and jumped off. Her opponent whirled around to face her again and began to stalk towards her. He only made it two steps when his legs gave out as well as the use of his arms. As he collapsed down to his knees, Ranma approached him.

"A couple of useful pressure points I learned from a certain doctor. Right now, I've just immobilized your legs and arms because I wanted to be sure you didn't miss the lesson."

Ranma reared back with her leg and planted a foot dead-center between the giant's legs. His eyes bugged out as the pain registered in his mind.

"The lesson is just because someone's a girl doesn't mean they are weak." Ranma stuck two fingers out at her opponent. "Nighty-night." With a quick poke to the chest, the giant's eyes rolled back before closing as he fell in a heap.

Ranma left the ring and took a seat on one of the bleachers. She then surveyed the crowd in front of her and noted with some satisfaction that the other fighters were no longer sneering at her. Instead there was look that seemed to be a mixture of fear and respect. Inside, Ranma smiled at this. It meant that they would take her more seriously now.

The rest of her matches found Ranma against several opponents who treated her with increasing respect. The first of her opponents even bowed to her before the match. For the most part, Ranma would attempt to win by either a submission or through the use of pressure points. As much as she needed to win this tournament, her sense of honor still prevented her from inflicting more pain than she thought was necessary. As she progressed through the tournament, however, she found that this was not always a possibility.

Despite this, Ranma was able to quickly move up until she found herself in the final match. She entered the ring feeling extremely confident. She hadn't even yet had to fight at half her best speed so she believed that she would soon be able to finish this episode and move on in her journey. Those ideas immediately foundered as she saw the person entering the ring opposite from her.

"Of all people I thought I would see here, Saotome, you were the last I ever imagined."

Mousse wore an appraising smirk on his face while Ranma recovered somewhat from her initial shock.

"I could say the same for you," Ranma replied. "I take it Cologne doesn't know you're here. I mean this isn't exactly the sort of thing an "honorable Amazon" should be doing."

"That is true. In fact, I could probably be banished from the tribe for this."

"So why do it?"

"I have my reasons. That's all you need to know. Besides I could very well ask the same of you."

Ranma put her finger onto her chin and rolled her eyes upward, putting on a thoughtful gaze. "Hmmmm, I think I hear an echo in here." She turned a more serious face towards her opponent. "And I would give you the very answer you gave me. I have my reasons as well."

Ranma assumed an opening stance, something she had hardly done with the others she had fought thus far. Everybody who was watching took note of this fact and immediately began placing last minute bets on the final match. Most were for the young redhead though there were some who were feeling adventurous enough to place the odd bet on the mysterious Chinese boy that the fast-riser was taking so seriously.

Mousse took on his own stance as both Nerimans waited for the signal to begin. When the order was given, Ranma moved in quickly, hoping to end this battle as soon as possible. She wanted to move on to the next stage of his escape, even though she didn't exactly know what that was. In addition to that there was the fact that in spite of all the times Ranma had beaten Mousse in combat, the fact remained that he was still a superb Martial Artist, despite his other shortcomings. For that, the Amazon male had earned Ranma's respect if not a tenuous relationship.

As Ranma began to move in, she noted that Mousse seemed unconcerned with her attack. In fact, he didn't move at all. The slight smirk he wore was also a bit unnerving as well. Ranma pushed these thoughts out of her mind as she began to throw several lightning fast punch and kick combinations at her opponent. They would only serve to distract her.

Unfortunately, doubt was forced back into Ranma's mind as Mousse not only appeared to see the attack coming but let go with his own series of rapid moves blocking every one of the blows aimed at his body. He even managed to throw a countermove or two in as well. One of these connected to Ranma's gut and sent her staggering back, both in pain and surprise. The shock was also evident on her face. Mousse chuckled at this.

"Surprised, are we?" he taunted. "Well then, let's see how you handle this."

Ranma barely had time to react as Mousse launched an all too familiar attack accompanied by an even more familiar battle cry.

"KACHU TENSHIN AMIGURIKEN!"

Ranma began to fall back as the Amazon before her let fly a barrage of punches that went for the most part unseen by those witnessing the match. With her own cry, Ranma set forth a series of blocks that kept her from being pummeled. As she neared the edge of the ring, Ranma leaped into the air, flipping over Mousse and landing behind him. When he turned to face the fiery redhead, the Chinese boy was met by a look of confidence. For a moment he was confused until he realized that his own face felt a little lighter.

"Having a little trouble seeing, Duck Boy?" Ranma grinned as she twirled a pair of large lenses on her finger. Tossing them out of the ring, she immediately leaped into a flying kick aimed at her opponent's head.

Her confident smirk was soon replaced with a look of utter shock as Mousse deftly avoided the strike and even grabbed the outstretched leg and used it to slam his opponent into the ground. As the young Amazon attempted to end the match with an elbow strike to the fallen girl, Ranma rolled her body from the blow, regained her feet, and assumed a defensive stance. As she appraised her opponent once more, Mousse came back with a confident smile of his own.

"Actually, Saotome, I can see you just fine." At Ranma's confused look, he continued. "It's amazing the things doctor's can do these days especially with lasers. I had my eyes fixed last week."

With this bit of information, Ranma began to consider a different battle strategy. She had already tried a quick win and using her extreme speed to break through her opponent's defenses. Neither had worked too well and now it seemed the young Amazon had overcome his greatest handicap as well.

_OK, so the old stuff isn't effective anymore. Guess that means I'll just have to come up with something new._

With those thoughts, Ranma threw herself once more at the Chinese youth in front of her, bringing on him another round of punches and kicks. Though it didn't seem like it to anyone else watching, however, anyone that truly knew the capabilities of this girl would have noted that the blows were being delivered at a much slower pace than was normal. Not only that but they would have also remarked that Ranma was also leaving herself more open than usual.

Mousse, not being one to let an advantage slip away, quickly capitalized on this and began slipping blows in through the openings. He smiled in satisfaction as he heard Ranma grunt in pain as his strikes connected with flesh. After about ten minutes of this, however, he began to realize that his limbs were slowly becoming numb. By the time Ranma finally broke away, he male Amazon no longer had use of his arms as they were hanging limply at his side. Not only that but he was barely able to stand. The only reason he could was that he was using all his ki reserves to add strength to his legs.

"How?" the formerly blinded man asked his opponent.

"Lessons from Dr. Tofu," Ranma stated through clenched teeth. Despite the success of her strategy, she hadn't gotten off lightly. Her body was covered with several bruises that were giving her immense pain. "I've been studying with him for some time now whenever I could get away. One of the things he taught me was how to use certain points to immobilize arms and legs so that broken bones could be set without a lot of pain for the victim."

Mousse finally understood. "And you adapted that to incapacitate an opponent during a fight."

Ranma grinned even though it was painful to do so. "Exactly. I knew you wouldn't miss the openings I left so I hit the points whenever you threw a punch or kick. With the speed you were moving though it took a few strikes before they would take full effect."

Mousse nodded then turned to face the crowd watching them. "I am unable to continue this match and therefore give my submission." As he said this, he felt fingers poking points on his shoulders and hips. Looking over he found Ranma carefully undoing the damage she had done. As soon as he was able to, Mousse exited the ring and left the building.

When the crowd finally realized what had occurred a great roar of applause went up. Of course this was also accompanied by the groans of many of the bookies as they had given her quite long-shot odds. Besides Ranma, the only ones who made a profit that night had been those who bet on her to win.

Ranma gathered her winnings and was just about to leave when she remembered one last piece of unfinished business. She quickly made her way back to where she had made her original bet and wasn't to surprised to see the bookie trying to make a discreet exit. Of course said attempt was soon halted as one of his bodyguards flew over his head and impacted the door he had been about to go through. Gulping, he turned around to face an extremely irate red head who actually seemed to be glowing.

Ranma stormed up to the bookie and grabbed him by his collar. "Since I am a nice little girl and all, I'm just going to pretend you had to obtain my winnings from a supervisor, especially seeing as how you owe me so much. After all, I wouldn't want to think you would be running out on me." She emphasized her last sentence by raising him a few inches off the ground.

"O-of course not," the bookie stammered as he snapped his fingers. "After all it would be bad for business."

Without letting go of him or even taking her eyes off of him, Ranma held out her hand to take the satchel that another of the man's goons offered her. She hefted it up and down a few times before dropping the punk and checking the contents. Satisfied that all the money was there, she walked out the very door the bookies had been trying to leave through. She didn't see him signal to his men behind her back nor did she see them exit out another way.

After a few minutes, Ranma came upon his pack that he had stowed away as well as the thermos of hot water he had left with it. She was just about to pour it on herself when her instincts kicked in. Ducking, she narrowly missed the brick that impacted the wall next to where her head had been. Looking around she found herself surrounded by five rather large gentlemen, all of which were carrying a weapon of some sort. The biggest one stepped forward.

"Oh, good, we have your attention," he sneered as he flashed a rather sharp looking blade at her. "It seems you have a little money that belongs to Boss Tanaka. He also said you had some that you owed him for the mental anguish you just caused him."

_BOSS TANAKA! KUSO!_ Ranma yelled in her mind. _That guy was Yakuza. Now I remember why all that "bad for business" talk was bothering me. Nabs said it was practically a catchphrase for them._

Ranma brought herself into a fighting stance before pain racked her body.

_Too soon. I haven't had a chance to recover yet._

The head goon noticed this and sneered at her. "You ain't in no condition to take us on. I doubt it will keep you from going through another 'workout' however once we get what we came for." He stepped forward to deliver a jab with his knife to Ranma to drive home his point.

At least, he would have if he hadn't found his hand wrapped up in a chain that flew from nowhere. Looking around for the source of the attack, he finally followed the chain to a young man with flowing robes.

"Five against one is hardly fair odds. Especially after what she has just been through." That was all the man said before he threw himself into an attack.

* * *

Did you like? Please let me know. By the way, what happens when a Ranma fanfiction author gets a hold of and listens to two Linkin Park cd's. Lots of inspiration. Walking in the Park is coming soon. Look for it. 


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